Apple has officially revealed the iMac 2021, introducing outstanding features such as an Apple M1 processor, 4.5k screen resolution and more colourful and sleek designs.
Apple unveiled the new iMac during the Apple Spring Loaded Event today, making it the latest Mac to ditch Intel in favour of Apple Silicon. Apple even confirmed the iMac will now offer better cross-platform support with the likes of iPhones and iPads, gaining more apps than what preceding Intel iMacs offer.
The iMac 2021 also sees an improved webcam, climbing up to a 1080p resolution. Four USB-C ports will be included at the back, with two of them featuring Thunderbolt support.
iMac 2021 price – How much will it cost? The iMac 2021 will have a starting price of SGD$1,849.00 which sees you bag a model with a 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU. This entry-level model is available in Blue, Green, Pink and Silver. A 256GB model will also be available with a boosted 8-core GPU for SGD$2,149.00. Increasing the storage space to 512GB will see the price climb to SGD$2,449.00. These more expensive models also have more colour options, including yellow orange and purple. 
iMac 2021 release date – When will it launch?
The iMac 2021 will launch in the second-half of May, with pre-orders opening on 30th May 2021. Apple hasn’t revealed a specific release date just yet. 
iMac 2021 specs – How powerful is it?
Apple confirmed the iMac 2021 will feature the Apple M1 chip, which is the same processor found in the MacBook Air and Mac Mini. Apple claims this new iMac will see up to an 85% faster CPU compared to the preceding Intel model, and double the GPU horsepower to enable smoother video tasks. The iMac will apparently be capable of editing up to five streams of 4K footage, or one stream of 8K footage without dropping a frame in Final Cut Pro. That’s a big claim from Apple, but something we wouldn’t rule out given the impressive power of Apple Silicon. From our experience with the MacBook Air, the M1 is an outstanding processor that excels at day-to-day workloads. The MacBook Air currently outpaces all ultrabooks at a similar price point, and should be comfortable fast enough to please iMac users. The M1 looks to have very good thermal efficiency too, requiring just two small fans to prevent it from overheating. This is thanks to the Arm architecture, which has long had superior thermal efficiency to Intel Core processors. iMac 2021 design – How does it look? The iMac 2021 has seen a total redesign, with a significantly sleeker design, and seven different colour options to make it far more eye-catching than the previous silver iMacs. Apple has trimmed down the screen’s surrounding bezel to fit in with modern designs, with a single glass sheet covering the entire front of all-in-one desktop PC. Apple has still found space to fit a webcam above the screen though, with an upgraded 1080p resolution to improve the quality of your Zoom calls. 
Since the new M1 chip only needs two small fans to keep it cool, Apple has been able to make this is the sleekest 24-inch Mac yet, seeing a similar footprint as the previous 21.5-inch iMac.
Apple has introduced four USB-C ports at the back, with two of those coming with Thunderbolt support. There looks to be no room for the likes of USB-A, which may frustrate fans, but that’s nothing an adapter can’t fix. A magnetic power adaptor plugs into the back, with the power brick featuring an Ethernet port. This looks to help reduce clutter, with the iMac looking to free up as much desk space as possible. Apple also revealed that new accessories will be made available, including a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, allowing you to sign in via the fingerprint scanner. The Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse will also match the colour of your iMac. 
iMac 2021 display – How good is the screen?
The iMac features an incredible 4.5K Retina display (4480 x 2520), which means it features a far sharper and detailed picture than what conventional 1080p monitors offers. The new iMac has a 24-inch screen, with the slimmer bezel allowing Apple to squeeze in a bigger panel than Apple’s previous 21.5-inch iMac screen. Over a billion colours will reportedly be supported, with True Tone technology also confirmed to feature which automatically adjusts the colour tone to suit your surroundings. Apple has confirmed that iMac will see a 500-nit peak brightness, meaning it’s significantly than the average (300 nits) monitor or laptop. Apple is still refusing to add touchscreen support, so you won’t be able to doodle or sketch on it. The Trusted Take: iMac 2021 Wow. The new iMac 2021 looks absolutely incredible, not only seeing a significant performance boost, but also an overhaul to the design for a sleeker, more colourful range to fit in with modern trends. Apple looks to have prioritised features required for working at home, with an upgraded 1080p webcam, more clutter-free cable solutions and a sleeker-than-ever design that should take minimal desk space. While I will need to review it before reaching any final conclusions, I genuinely do think this iMac will be one of the most exciting gadgets of 2021 – there simply isn’t another all-in-one PC package that comes close. You’re seemingly getting a super-high resolution and class-leading performance for a very reasonable price. My only concerns are the meagre 256GB storage options in the entry-level models, and lack of legacy ports that will make users very reliant on USB-C. But these are very minors considering everything else you’re getting with the iMac. Apple has knocked it out of the park.  Comments are closed.
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